Playing-card holder



1,634 696 July 1927' v. c. TENEAU PLAYING CARD HOLDER Filed Feb. 23, 1927 4 9 9" 3 INVENTOR.

AT RNEYS.

Patented July 5, 1927.

UNITED STATES Vm'lm CONSTANT mu, 0] YORK.

PLAYING-CARD HOIJJIB.

Application fled Jamar; 88, 1927. Iorlal Io. 170,188.

This invention is a holder for playing cards, and the object of the invention is to provide simple and efiicient means whereby playing cards may be held in the players hand in separated or fanned out relation to one another and through the employment of means for maintaining them in this relation by a grip exerted thereon independently of the players fingers.

Playing card holders have been heretofore suggested, but they have been bulky in prac- 'tical constructionswhich would not permit the proper separation or fanning of the cards or are of such unsightly and awkward shape and appearance as to render them unpopular with card players. a

The structure of the present invention, in contradistinction, is such that the device will fit comfortably in the players hand and allow of unrestricted fanning or separation of the cards. The holder of this invention embodies two plates of relatively stiff material, such as celluloid, cardboard or the like of substantially palette shape. The plates are superimposed upon one another with their axes coinciding and they are secured together by a single rivet, grommet, eyelet, or other attaching device positioned coaxially of the plates. The upper plate is of less radius than the under plate, so that, when playing cards are introduced between the plates in such manner that the lower portions of the cards project between the respective plates, the greater portion of said cards will be uncovered and e osed to view. v

I wish to ca articular attention to the securing of the p ates together axially. The advantage inherent in such a construction is that it ermits the cards to be fanned or se arate uniformly at all sides of the axis oi the device. In other words, when the cards are fanned out, they pivot about a common axis and thus se arate uniformly.

This feature of the invent1on would not result if the plates were secured together at widely spaced apart points, since with such latter construction, there would result a tendency of the cards to pivot on two distinct axes which would cause ununiform fanning of the cards and a tendency of the cards to disengage from the holder during .the fanning operation. It is alsoimportant that the coacting faces of the respective plates be smooth and uninterrupted, so that when the cards are introduced into the holder and fanned out, there will be no projections or uneven parts to interfere with this operation.

The utilization of plates of palette shape causes the device to fit easily into the hand of the player and to rest easily in that reentrant portion ofthe hand between the thumb and forefinger, with the fingers of the hand engaging with the back plate and the thumb engaging with the front plate. The natural tendency ofthe player is to ap ly a slight pressure through the thumb and this pressure, in practice, tends to transversely bend the two plates and cause them to very tightly grip the cards, so that the inadvertent release of the cards is absolutely precluded when the device is held in the players hand.

The tendency of the device to bend as described is facilitated by the employment of the axial connection between the plates, which permits the bending of the plates in all directions and on any radii without crimping or undue strains at the point of connection.

The plates are, in practice, secured against relative rotation in order to maintain the plates against shifting relative to one another. Thus, the superimposed plates of palette form are held in proper cooperative relation at all times, so that the re-entrant portions of said plates are maintained in register to allow the device to rest easily between the thumb and forefinger of the players hand.

Features of the invention, other than those specified, will be apparent from the hereinafter detailed description and claims, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

The accompanying drawings illustrate one practical em odiment of the invention, but the construction therein shown is to be understood as illustrative, only, and not as definin the limits of the invention.

igure 1 shows the card holder of the resent invention in front elevation and ilustrates the manner in whichit is held in the players hand, while the cards are maintained in fanned relation to permit them to beindividually withdrawn from the holder.

Figure 2 is a back view of the holder.

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fi ure 2, showing the plates sli htly bent a: das they appear when held in the players Fi e 4 is a side elevation of the male mem er of the ommet employed in the construction of Figures 1 to 3.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the back plate and 2 the front plate, both of these plates are of the same sha e, but the front plate is referably considera 1y smaller than the bac plate. As clearly shown in the drawings, the plates are coaxially arranged and are held together by axial fastening means shown as a grommet or eyelet 3. This ommet embodies male and female members 4. and 5, respectively, and the flange of the male member is preferably provided with spurs 6, which, duringlthe introduction of the eyelet, penetrate t e two plates in order to secure them against relative rotation.

The plates 1 and 2 are in the main of circular configuration, but at corresponding sides of said plates, they are provided wit re-entrant portions 7 and 8 respectively, so

that said plates are of a contour substantially corresponding to a painters palette. It will be noted from the drawings that the reentrant portions 7 and 8 register with one another and extend from the outer peripheries of the plates into close proximity to the grommet 3.

The purpose of this construction is to allow the device to be readily grasped by the players hand, and as shown in Figure 1, the re-entrant portions 7 and 8 are adapted to rest easily between the thumb and forefinger of the hand, so that the thumb may extend well over the grommet 3 and overlie the playing cards 9, which are adapted to be inserted between the respective plates. It will be apparent that while the thumb overlies the front of the playing cards, the fin ers overlie the backs of said cards and exten in practice, substantially to the outer periphery of the back plate 1.

I find it convenient to construct the plates of celluloid, imitation tortoise shell, paper or other suitable, fairly rigid, but resilient material and when such material is emplo ed, the natural configuration of the hand will cause a slight bendin of the lates when they are grasped, as s own in igure 1 this bending being clearly illustrated in grip of the when playing cards are introduced between the respective plates and fanned out, the plates will be forced apart slightly be cause of the thickness of the cards and as the device is bent transversely, as stated, the plates are caused to ti htly grip the cards, so as to positively prec ude any tendency of the cards to inadvertently slip or shift. The plates, however, 18 such that the cards may be individually removed without dislod g the other cards.

ll ca l particular attention to the fact that the plates are in face abutting relation to the rommet, so that the cards are held in lace irrespective of the ip of the players and. This permits the et vice to be laid u on a table, while maintaining the hand in t desired fanned condition and without permitting inadvertent displacement of the cards. The attachment of t e plates in face abutting relation at the center is of further importance in that it provides a tapering clamping action between said plates and the utilization of a unitary fastening device functioning in combination with the tapering engagement of the plates with the cards, provides, in effect, a floating pivot about which the cards are fanned out. In other words, when the cards are introduced between the plates, they do not engage the grommet, but simply enter between the plates until the gripping action arrests their further movement.

Inasmuch as there is but a single grommet to hold the plates together, this gripping force will be uniform at all sides of the pivot, so that when it is attempted to fan the cards, they will pivot on the point of the maximum gripping action exerted on each card, which, in practice, will beat a substantially uniform distance from the grommet for all of the cards. As a result, there will be a uniform pivotal movement of all of the cards and the pivotal action to which I have referred will be very smooth. Furthermore, the cards will not become loosened by the fanning operation, but will be held at such oints of maximum gripping action to fan a out the common axis of the grommet 3 on what may be termed shifting or floating pivots.

The device is extremely simple in construction, may be economically manufactured, and provides an efficient means for holding cards in a players hand or for maintaining the cards in proper fanned relation when they are laid upon the table. The plates in practice maybe highly ornamented or may, if desired, carry suitable advertisin matter.

The device may be employed in the playing of any card game, but is of particular utility in the play of such ames as bridge, hearts, pinoc e, and similar card games, where quite a number of cards constitute a playing hand.

The foregoing detailed description sets forth the invention in its preferred form but the invention is to be understood as fully commensurate with the appended claims.

The device of this invention has numerous advantages. That is to say, the cards are kefpt clean, there is no appreciable bending 0 such cards as is frequently the case when cards are handled by nervous players. Moreover, they can be readily fanned and arranged in the device to produce either a largeor small spread as may be desired.

The player has'a full view of the cards at all times and a relatively large number of cards may be comfortably held in the hand without necessitating such pressure as would result in cramping of the hand. Furthermore, cards are maintained at all times in order and can be placed face down in assembled relation upon the table and will remain in such order, when the player leaves the table for any purpose, or, when freedom of both hands is desired as for lighting cigarettes. N

The device can be made of a wide variet of materials, such as celluloid, ca-rdboar fibre, etc; the best result being obtained by the use of materials which are sufficiently rigid to hold the cards in place and yet sufliciently flexible to assume a slight concavity when held in the hand. In practice, the holder is susceptible to a wide variation in decoration, design, etc., and slight difference in peripheral contour may be made without de arting from the spirit of this invention.

aving thus fully described the invention, What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a playing card holder, a pair of plates axially secured together in direct face abut-ting relation, said plates being provided at corresponding sides with registering reentrant portions, whereby the device is adapted to fit between the thumb and forefinger of the layers hand with the axis of the device ad acent the base of the thumb, said plates being resilient whereby pla ing cards may be introduced between the p ates to be gripped thereby.

2. In a playing card holder, 9. pair of substantially (palette shape plates directly superimpose in coaxia relation and axially secured together with re-entrant portions of said plates registering with one another, said plates bein of resilient material, whereby p aying car s may be thrust between the lates to be gripped thereby and held against inadvertent displacement by the inherent resiliency of the plates.

3. In a playing card holder, two superimposed plates of substantially palette shape positioned coaxially with respect to one another and axially secured together in face abutting relation with the re-entrant portions of said lates in registration, said plates being'of resilient material whereby playing cards may be thrust between the lates to be retained in osition by the inerent resiliency of said plates, the front plate being of smaller size than the back plate to provide for maximum exposure of the faces of the playing cards.

4. In a playing card holder, a substantially palette sha e, back plate, a similarly shaped front p ate of smaller size than the back plate, unitary means for securing said plates in face abutting coaxial relation with one another and with the re-entrant portions of the respective plates in registration, said plates being of springy material, whereby playing cards may be thrust between the front and back plates to be frictionally gripped between the plates and held by the inherent resiliency of said plates against inadvertent displacement.

In testimony whereof I have signed the I foregoing s ecification.

VALEN IN CONSTANT TEN EAU. 

